Her Highness, The Exalt
by ShotaUprising
Summary: There are a lot of qualities to possess in order to be a leader: Intelligence, Style, Grace, Negotiation Skills- and a whole lot more. But with her quickly approaching coronation approaching, will Lucina be able to master it all? Maybe she should call a few friends...
1. Her Highness, The Newly Appointed

_Hello, Hello! Consider this a little mini side project while I'm still working on Ice Prince...or...rather, revising it. It can be found on my Tumblr, but trust me, it's not worth reading the old version. Just think of this as a silly, lighthearted episode of "Lucina and Friends"! _

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><p>The sun's rays shone brightly on the peaceful town of Ylisstol, engulfing the area in its warmth and light. The children were happily playing, the merchants were setting up their stands, the birds were singing, the townsfolk were as lively as ever- a truly beautiful day.<p>

Lucina gazed out at the vibrant town below from her bedroom window. A small smile spread across her face as she pressed her forehead against the glass. "How lovely." She mumbled to herself. She pulled away from the window and sauntered over to her wardrobe. "Maybe I'll go out today. I could invite a few of my friends and we could spend some time at the flea market…" Lucina began pulling out several different outfits, humming softly and she looked over all of them. She ultimately decided on her usual blue attire, laying it out on her bed and returning the other clothes back to their original place. A knock on the door, following by a cheerful voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Lucinaaaa~! Time for breakfast!"

"Thank you, Aunt Lissa! I'll be out in a moment!" Lucina shouted in reply.

"Well, hurry up before Owain eats all of it, mmkay?" Lissa knocked again before returning to the dining hall.

"I won't be long, I promise!" She quickly removed her nightgown and changed into her chosen outfit. She frantically looked around for her shoes and pulled one out from beneath her bed. She grabbed the other one from beside her window and shoved them on her feet. The princess threw open the door and sped down the hall. She made a sharp turn and nearly tripped while running down the stars, but quickly regained her balance as she nearly the dining area. Before she could even touch it, the door swung open, and Frederick stood right in front of it.

"Miss Lucina."

"...Frederick."

"You do know it's not safe to run through the halls, correct?"

She raised an eyebrow. "How did-"

" I could _hear _you stomping around upstairs."

"_Ooooooh_, busted!" Owain pointed at her, snickering.

"My apologies." Lucina shot her cousin a glare. Frederick stepped to the side and allowed her to enter. She took a seat beside Owain and let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, good morning to you too, then." He rolled his eyes and drummed his fingers on the table.

"Good morning, Owain. Good morning, Father. Good morning, Mother and Aunt Lissa." Lucina smiled.

"Morning, Lucina." Chrom nodded and groaned a bit. "Frederick, can we please-"

"Not until the entire family has arrived, milord."

"If she's anything like me, she'll take forever and a day just to get down here!" Sumia frowned and picked up her silverware. "Can we at least have something to drink."

"Lady Sumia, I assure you, Miss Cynthia is on her way." As if on cue, the door swung open, startling Frederick as it just barely hit him in the face.

"Gooooooooood morning, family~!" Cynthia yelled out as she skipped into the room, taking her place beside her sister. Frederick took a moment to recollect himself before ducking into the kitchen to retrieve the meal. Once everything was laid out in place and the glasses were full of orange juice, Sumia stood up, clearing her throat.

"Alright! Before we begin, who wants to start our day in prayer?"

Lissa didn't move a muscle. Cynthia looked the other direction. Chrom was 3 seconds from stuffing a roll in his mouth.

"I'll do it!" Owain piped up.

"NO!" Everyone shouted out. Owain pouted slightly and kept his mouth shut.

"I'll do it." Lucina volunteered. Everyone bowed their head and closed their eyes- well, not Frederick. He had to keep an eye out on the door and all. "Naga, thank you for this meal which we are about to receive to nourish our bodies in your sake. May you bless us this day and all the days to come, in Naga's name, I pray, Amen."

"Amen." They mumbled in unison.

The first few minutes of breakfast went by in utter silence as the family was too focused on getting their share of food first. The only sounds were the clinking of glasses and plates. Lissa was the first one to speak.

"So, Chrom-" She took a sip of juice. "Didn't you have an announcement to make?"

"Huh?" He looked up, a strip of bacon dangling precariously out of his mouth. He bit off half and clutched the other half in his hand. "What announcement?"

"That _very _important announcement that you and your _wife _had so much debate about?" Lissa shot him a glare and kicked him from under the table.

"...Oh…" Sumia tensed up. "Lissa, are you sure we shouldn't do this in private? I don't think this is very-"

"ATTENTION, ATTENTION!" Lissa picked up a spoon and banged it on her glass. The 3 kids looked up from their meal and towards her.

"...Too late."

"I believe the man of house has an announcement to make~"

"Lissa!" Chrom glared back at her. Lissa began humming, twirling her hair innocently. He sighed and turned his attention to the kids. "Well, um, as you know, I'm the exalt around here-"

"Say no more, Dad. I understand." Cynthia squinted. "Assassin? No problem. We got your back! We'll start a 'Castle Dad Watch'! Keeping Chroms safe since-"

"Thank you, Cynthia, but that's not necessary." Chrom held up a hand. "Like I was saying, I'm the exalt around here. And technically, Lucina is next in line, if anything should ever happen to me."

"Oh gods, are you having another kid?!" Owain held his fork nervously. "That's an injustice! You can't keep having more kids to secure your position!"

"Owain, no. We're not having another child." Sumia blushed.

"And, well, Lucina is of age so…" Chrom took a deep breath. His eyes darted back and forth from Sumia to Lucina. Sumia caught on and spoke for him.

"Lucina, congratulations! You're gonna be the new exalt!"

Lucina's jaw dropped open as she dropped her glass. Frederick immediately pulled her chair away from the running liquid and used her napkin to soak it up.

"E-E...Excuse me?!"

"Your coronation is in a few months. We know you can do it, we have faith in you!" Her mother briefly scooped a spoonful of oatmeal into her mouth.

"Exalt…? Th-That's so…"

"Cool…" Cynthia sighed dreamily and twirled her fork around on the tablecloth. "Exalt...it sounds like a dream…"

"S-Surely, you must be mistaken right?" Lucina laughed nervously. "I-I mean, I'm so young! I don't know anything about leading a nation! Why not Aunt Lissa? She's just as capable!"

"With the way direct bloodlines go, you are Chrom's daughter, which makes you next in line." Lissa shrugged.

"W-Well, Owain-"

"Aha, so the fair maiden seeks my aid?"

"Owain, this is serious!"

"H-Ha...Well, I can't. Technically, I'm 3rd in line if you or Cynthia don't have kids."

"Lucina, this is a big responsibility. I expect great things out of you." Chrom looked straight at Lucina, a stern tone in his voice and a very serious look in his eye. His features softened as he let out a sigh of relief. "Well then, that was easier than I thought!" He resumed his breakfast.

"Congrats, Luci! I heard that after you get your crown, you get a huge dinner party!" Cynthia nudged her sister. Lucina froze completely.

...Exalt?

As in, _the _exalt?

She couldn't believe it.

"I….I'm not ready!" Lucina suddenly stood up and ran out of the room.

"Luci, wait!" Cynthia excused herself from the table and ran after her. Lucina didn't quite know where to run, but anywhere but there was a good idea. She ran back up the stairs, back down the hall, and back into her room. She slammed her door shut then moved back to her bedroom window. She glanced back at the happy town below her.

Those people would have their life in her hands.

She would be responsible for every man, woman and child.

She sighed as she tore away from the window and plopped face first into her bed.

"All I wanted was to go outside…"


	2. Her Highness, The Lover

_Before I start chapter 2, I just wanna say thanks to all who have read so far, and a special thank you to phatmon515 for being my first reviewer for this story! A relatively short chapter, but they'll get longer fairly quickly._

_Alright then, shall we?_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Her Highness, The Lover<strong>

"Lucina? Are you okay?" Cynthia knocked on her sister's bedroom door twice before quietly slipping into the room.

"Go back downstairs. I'm **fine**." Lucina mumbled and rolled onto her side. Cynthia frowned and sat down next to her on her bed.

"Hey, what's wrong? You can tell your little sister!"

"I'm fine!"

Cynthia pouted and moved away from her. She looked at her hands for a brief second before smirking and aggressively tickling her sides. "Cheeeer up!"

Lucina stifled a laugh before erupting into a fit of giggles, squirming and desperately trying to find any means of escape. "St-Stop it..!"

"Not 'til you spill it!"

"F-Fine! I give up! I-I can't breathe…!"

"Great!" Cynthia beamed and pat the spot next to her. "Now, what's gotcha down?" Lucina sat up straight.

"Were you not listening? I have to become the exalt! The _exalt_!"

"So?"

"So?! Cynthia, there's so much I have to do!"

"But that doesn't mean it can't be fun, right?" Cynthia tilted her head. "I mean, yeah, you'll have to go to those war council meetings, but _you'll _be the boss!"

"The...boss?"

"Who will get to have fancy dinner parties? Who will get to start all kind of construction projects? Who will get to host masquerade balls and rendezvous with mysterious mask strangers on the rooftop at midnight?" Cynthia stood up, a bit too excited.

"Me…?"

"Exactly! Your entire life will be an adventure! Think of it as an alterego! By day, you're Lucina, the kind and fair exalt. But by night, you're _Lucina, _the heir to Falchion, seeker of justice!" Cynthia struck a confident pose. Lucina chuckled a bit at her sister and stood up as well.

"And with you by my side, I shall not falter!"

"For we are the Wings of Justice!"

"...The Wings of Justice?"

"What? It sounds catchy! Owain helped me come up with it!"

A few knocks on the door followed by Sumia peeking inside paused their playful banter. "Lucina? Are you alright?"

"Mother, I'm fine. Please go back downstairs and finish breakfast."

"I can always eat later." Sumia slowly walked inside, closing the door behind her. "I'm so sorry we just dumped that on you...I honestly didn't think you'd react that way. Your father and I feel terrible for just announcing it so casually."

"The only thing Dad feels is butter from those dumb rolls!" Cynthia growled.

"No, it was childish of me and it's not like I have a choice to object to it or not." Lucina took a deep breath. Sumia put a hand on her shoulder and smiled.

"You have 3 months. But I can try to see if we can extend it if you need more time to prepare."

"I'll let you know if I need extra time. But I think...I'll be fine. As long as I can have some assistance."

"Of course! Anything you need to get ready!"

"Thank you, Mother." Lucina hugged her mother, then hugged Cynthia. "And thank you, Cynthia. You were a big help too."

"Hey, Mom?" Cynthia grabbed her sister's hand and pulled her to the door. "Did Owain and Dad eat everything?"

Sumia paused for a moment. "Um...I don't...think so. I wouldn't be surprise if they-"

"Great! C'mon Luci, I'm still starving!" She swung open the door and made a mad dash for the dining area, Lucina stumbling. A brief, "STOP RUNNING!" made them slow down a bit, but it didn't stop Cynthia from tearing through the halls and back down the stairs. But to her disbelief and disappointment, only a few assorted fruits remain.

Lucina could have sworn she felt a tear run down Cynthia's face.


	3. Her Highness, The Artist

**I really didn't mean this to come out as...long. But I guess to make up for a short Chapter 2 so...**

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><p>"Ah, there she is. Absolutely <em>graceful<em>."

Lucina tossed around.

"Shut up before you wake her up, Inigo!"

"You're louder than me!"

Lucina turned.

"My voice doesn't carry bass."

"Still a bit shrill, if you ask me."

"_Excuse me?!_"

A visible frown was on her face.

"_Shh!_ Severa, darling, look, you made her upset…"

"_I _made her upset? Look here, buddy, I-"

"**ENOUGH.**" Lucina growled as she sat straight up. She blew the hair out of face, scowling. "You two…."

"Well then, this was lovely! I'm off! Toodles!" Inigo chuckled nervously before heading towards the door. Severa grabbed him by the collar and jerked him back.

"Lucina~! Good morning!" Severa smiled. "Why aren't you….properly dressed?"

"Because it's still early in the morning…?"

"Tch. That's not an excuse." Severa pursed her lips. "Get up."

"But-"

"Up! We have things to do, things to coordinate! Inigo, help me out."

"Anything for you, darling~" He winked and took one of Lucina's hands.

"Cut the crap. Just do as as I say." Severa rolled her eyes and grabbed the other hand. "On 3."

"N-Now wait just a second!" Lucina tried to pull away.

"3!" They both yanked her out of bed, nearly dislocating her shoulders. Lucina yelped and fell onto the floor. She whined, sprawling out onto the floor. Inigo bent down and lightly tapped her shoulder.

"Now, now, that's not how a lady should invite her guests."

"Why are you even here?"

"Your charming little sister said we had some very official royal business to assist you with."

"Cynthiaaa…." Lucina groaned and slowly stood up. "She told you?"

"Told us? More like blabbered about it for hours on end." Severa twirled a strand of her hair around her hair. "But...congratulations, I guess. Must be a lot of pressure to have to be all perfect, huh?"

"Which is exactly why we are here to help!" Inigo beamed. "...So, did you want to take her first, or should I do the honors?"

"I want to go first. So leave."

He opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it. He nodded and escorted himself out of the room. Severa turned her attention to Lucina, smirking.

"Well now, this'll be grand~"

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><p>"Now, Lucina, what is the number one most important thing for a girl to have?" Severa slowly marched back and forth across the room with her arms crossed.<p>

"Oh, health!"

"Wrong."

"Education?"

"Wrong, again."

"Companionship…?"

"Gods, are you daft? _Fashion_. Fashion is everything! You can't have a shoddy looking exalt!"

"Severa, is this really-"

"Yes!" She clasped her hands together. "Trust me, I know how to make you look good. By the time I'm done with you, you'll be a whole new woman!"

"A-Ah...I see…" Lucina mumbled.

"Now, there are 3 stages of looking like a true winner. Number 1! Hair. 2! Makeup. 3 is…?"

"C...Clothes?"

"Good job, Lucina! You're totally learning!" Severa giggled before returning to a serious expression. "Step one: Hair. I...honestly have no complaints. What's your secret?"

"I just brush it. I'm not really into excessive decorating."

"It's not excessive! You never know when you'll meet someone you like, so you have to be ready at **all times.**"

"R-Right!"

"Moving on to one of my favorites…" Severa winked before running out the room. Lucina tiptoed after she left and quietly made her way to the door.

She looked left.

She looked right.

She made a run for it.

Lucina kept glancing behind her, hoping and praying that Severa would take forever getting back. _Where do I go?! Where's Inigo? Where's Owain? Gods, I'll even take-_

"Miss Lucina?" A familiar voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Frederick!" She let out a sigh of relief. "Quickly, I have to hide!"

"But you have guests, do you not?" Frederick raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, but-"

"That's not very hospitable of you."

"Frederick, _please_."

"Lucina! There you are!" Severa chirped. "I found my bags!"

"How...wonderful…" Lucina feigned a smile. Severa ran over, grabbed her hand, and dragged her back to her bedroom.

Lucina felt her heart drop a little.

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><p>"Makeup is suuuper important. More important than hair, but less important than clothes, because people look way better with no makeup, but horrible with ugly clothes." Severa began taking out several makeup cases, lining them up on Lucina's bed. "I've done some research- and by research, I mean using your dumb sister as a test dummy- about what colors go with blue. Most results were either…" She picked up 2 cases. "Purple or other shades of blue."<p>

"Severa-"

"I know, I'm a genius! Now, which eyeshadow color would you prefer: Lovely Lilac or Shining Sapphire?"

"...Lilac."

"Mm...I would've went sapphire, but whatever." She opened the case, picked up the brush, and furiously swiped the powder onto her brush. "Close your eyes."

Lucina obeyed, and Severa quickly went to work. Powder drifted through the air, and eventually found its way into Lucina's nose. She sniffed, scrunching up her nose and moving a bit.

"Hold still." Severa repositioned her.

"S-Severa, I ha….I have to…."

"Hold on, I have to do the left eye…"

"Sn-Sneeze…"

"Don't you dare! I'll-"

"A-_ACHOO!_" Lucina sneezed violently, causing Severa to drop the makeup case on the floor and leave a purple streak of eyeshadow running across Lucina's eyelid and towards her ear. Severa screamed and frantically picked up the case.

"Oh gods no…! Daddy bought me this last week!"

"I'm so sorry! I'll get you another one!"

"Oh _gods no!_"

"What's wrong?!"

"Y-Your face!"

"What about my face?!"

"N-Nothing!" Severa laughed nervously and threw the eyeshadow into her bag. "M-Moving on to blush! I chose a lovely peach shade to highlight your cheekbones!" She opened the blush container and carefully removed the brush. "Try not to sneeze."

"My apologies…"

"Right then! This'll be quick...Wait...It's not showing up."

"Maybe if you apply more?"

"That's what I'm doing, but I think it's coming up...green?"

"Pardon?"

"This is-" Severa checked the color. "It-It says peach but...Ho-kaaaay!" She closed the blush and rummaged through her bag once more. "Never mind then! Lipstick is key! This one is simply called 'Innocent'. Pucker up!"

"I'm trusting you, Severa."

Severa delicately applied the lipstick to Lucina's lips, careful not to smear too much of it on. "Now, that looks nice! I suppose we can move on to-"

"Severa, are you going to be much longer?" Inigo knocked and poked his head inside the room. "Because I- ….U-Um…"

"Inigo! Do I look alright?" Lucina smiled and waved. Inigo stifled a laugh and ducked back out of the room. Severa bit her thumb, mumbling, "Please don't tell me…"

"Owain! Cm'here!" Inigo yelled across the hall. A few loud footsteps followed by both boys peeking into the room made Severa cringe.

"Luci, are you sick?" Owain snickered while Inigo was doubled over in pain. "You look...weird."

"Excuse you, Owain, it's called _fashion_." Lucina pouted and flipped her hair. Owain covered his mouth and slowly backed out the room, waiting until he was a good distance to start laughing.

"Lucina, I am so sorry!" Severa dropped down onto her knees and grabbed her hands. "I could've sworn I had the right materials and-"

"D-Do I look that bad…?"

"J-Just- INIGO! Come take her!"

"Is it my turn yet?" Inigo quickly regained his composure.

"Yes! Teach her your thing! Clothes can wait!" Severa threw all her stuff into the bags, picked them up, and ran out of the room.

"Ah, yes...Lucina, the crown jewel of Ylisse. Come, I have something to teach you in the dining hall." Inigo offered his hand.

"I don't- What just happened?" Lucina stared at the spot Severa had been groveling before her.

"Hey! You want to learn how to dance or not?"

"Huh?"

"I-I mean- It is my responsibility to teach you the passionate art...of dance!"

"I think i've had quite enough teaching for a day…"

"The passionate art of dance waits for no one!"


	4. Her Highness, The Dancer

_Hey-o! Sorry for...not updating. But I have this bad habit called "starts on 5 other projects before finishing the main one'._

_Before I go on, Zallow had recently asked me whether the Lucina I'm writing about is the Lucina from the future or the little one, and I'm using "little Lucina" from the...good timeline? Is that what it's called? Either way, she's from the timeline where Grima was put to rest by Robin and friends._

_But anywhoo, here's the Inigo scene. Kinda short, not that short though. I'm debating on whether the next one should be Gerome or Laurent. We'll cross that bridge when we get there._

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><p>The ballroom- or as Cynthia described it, the party room. Many lords and ladies of the court from far and wide often came to participate in one of the halidom's many festivities. With the proper decorations and the right music, even the most prestigious nobleman could let loose and have a wonderful time. Lucina looked around the ballroom in awe, imagining the types of celebrations she could throw. The thought of her coronation party excited her, but a tinge of doubt quickly took over her joy.<p>

"Lucina!" The sound of clapping startled her, but ultimately caught her attention. She looked over at her 'teacher' and sighed.

"Inigo, really. Is this really necessary?"

"Absolutely! Now as the exalt, you'll have to host at least one ball in your lifetime- and when you do, invite me." Inigo winked and held his hand out.

"Al...right? But I don't have to dance at my own event if I don't want to." She took hold of his hand, a bit concerned.

"It's common courtesy to dance at a function, Lucina. And we're going to get right into it!" He pulled her in closer towards him. Lucina yelped and immediately stiffened up. Inigo repositioned his hands, placing one on her shoulder and another on the small of her back. "There's not much explanation to be done. It's fairly simple. Just step forward when I step back, step back when I step forward. Alright?"

"Hold on a second! You're going too fast! What's the hurry?"

"I may or may not have a special outing within the next hour…."

"...I should have known." She sighed indifferently. "Very well. Forward back, forward back, forward back, right?"

"Precisely. This shouldn't be too difficult." Inigo looked over his shoulder. "Music!" On cue, a harp began playing softly, followed by several other instruments.

"Did you smuggle an entire orchestra in here?!" Lucina briefly jerked away and squinted in the direction of the music. She saw Owain and Cynthia sitting in the corner, pushing a book closer towards her.

"Good news! We figured out how this radio tome thingy works!" Cynthia gave a thumbs up.

"Bad news! It was expensive, and we're still not sure how to adjust the volume!" Owain picked up the tome and held it up. "Sorry!"

Lucina resumed her former position. She took a deep breath and nodded slowly, signaling Inigo that she was ready.

He slowly took a step backwards.

Lucina hesitantly took a step forward.

He stepped forward.

She moved backwards.

"Beautiful. You're doing better than I thought you would." He pulled away and grabbed one of her hands.

"What are you doing? You didn't teach me this!" Her eyes widened as he raised her arm above her.

"I learn by experience. You will too. Just a simple...twirl~" He began spinning her around. Lucina suppressed a shout and spun around.

"Inigo, this is not simple at all!" She squeezed her eyes shut. She came to a sudden stop, and the faint sound of whimpering could be heard. Lucina slowly opened her eyes and stared right at Inigo, whose face was twisted into a half-smile. She glanced down at her feet and immediately shuffled away from him. "Inigo, I'm-"

"...Thank goodness you're not Kjelle. My entire foot might've been broken." He chuckled a bit and slowly began tapping his foot on the ground. "Everything is working fine! Don't worry about it. Let's try again."

Lucina took his hands again, and began dancing once more. Inigo proceeded to twirl her again. She held her breath and followed through the motions halfway before suddenly dipping backward. She quickly clenched onto his shoulder with one hand and snaked one of her legs around his ankle, or as Cynthia once described it, 'The Koala Defense Maneuver'.

"What are you doing!? Don't just drop me!"

"Lucina, it's called a dip. Relax! You're in good hands. Let go of my shoulder."

Lucina stood back up and resumed dancing, occasionally going the wrong direction or just barely stepping on his feet. The pace picked up speed, until every movement was a blur and Lucina couldn't tell whether her feet were still on the ground. She felt as if she was floating on air, and it felt great. Inigo smiled at her, pulling her close for a moment.

"You're ready."

"After _one _session? Need I remind you that I don't dance as a hobby?" Lucina pursed her lips.

"You're fine! Unless…" He chuckled. "You want to spend more time with me? How thoughtful."

"That's not it. I just want to have a firm understanding of this dance."

"The only thing you need to consider is- Warning!"

"Huh-?!" Lucina shrieked as she was dipped again, immediately going into 'The Koala Defense Maneuver'.

"Okay, maybe I _do _need to come back."


End file.
